UpdateFire hits JSR Corp’s emulsion-SBR line in Yokkaichi, Japan

16 November 2012 11:20[Source: ICIS news]

(adds information on two more production lines that were shut)

TOKYO (ICIS)--One of JSR Corp’s emulsion-styrene-butadiene rubber (E-SBR) lines in Yokkaichi, Japan, caught fire late on Thursday, prompting the shutdown of the unit, a company official said on Friday.

The fire erupted at 22:13 hours Japan time (13:13 GMT) on 15 November and was brought under control about three hours later, the official said.

Two other units have had to be taken off line, the official said, revising an earlier statement that only the fire-hit production line stopped operations.

After an on-site inspection, however, these two lines were given clearance at 16:00 Japan time to resume operations on 17 November, the official said.

The fire-hit production line will remain shut with no definite restart date, the official said.

The JSR Corp official said that the Yokkaichi plant, which has six lines, has a total E-SBR production capacity of 255,000 tonnes/year, the official said.